Venema, a Dutch Mennonite family particularly found in Friesland, both Mennonite and non-Mennonite. Arnoldus (Nolle) Abelsz Venema, b. ca. 1739 at Buitenpost, d. 1801 at Ameland, married to Sientje Kramer, at first a peddler, later a shop-keeper, was a preacher of the Mennonite congre­gation of Rottevalle ca. 1761-1762, the Flemish (Foppe Ones) church on the island of Ameland 1762-1768, at Norden in East Friesland, Germany, 1768-1774, Aalsmeer 1774-1783, Rottevalle 1783-89, Ameland again 1789-d.1801. Returning from Nes, where he had preached on a winter night, he vanished with­out trace; he probably drowned in the sea in the darkness. Being a self-made man, he was one of those untrained preachers who with great love and no less ability served the church with much blessing. His brother Aldert Abelsz Venema was a preacher at Rottevalle ca. 1774-d.1788. Another member of this family was Tjebbe Wiegers Venema, b. 1789, d. 29 February 1856, at Aalsmeer. In 1818 he was ap­pointed ministerial candidate by the Conference of Friesland, serving 1819-d.1856 in the Aalsmeer Zijdweg congregation. He was a man of little educa­tion; by private study he learned some German, French, and English. But under his leading the con­gregation flourished. In Gorter's Doopsgezinde Lectuur of 1856 he published a paper, "Overzicht van alle Doopsgezinden op aarde." A Venema was for many years a secretary-treasur­er of the Dantumawoude congregation in the early 20th century.